It’s the new year, and like most folks, eating better and getting more exercise is on the agenda for this year. So far, I’ve been pretty good about both, and with an assortment of delicious winter vegetables it’s easy to make meals really tasty.
When it comes to making and eating salads in the past it usually was binging. I’d literally eat salads 3 meals a day for a week and then not touch another green for a month. Not exactly routine when it comes to ensuring vegetable consumption.
I think it can be a challenge to get motivated by eating salads because it seems as if there are only 4 options, a simple garden salad, a Caesar salad, a Thai salad, and a Greek salad. Actually salads can be incredibly creative, it all depends on what season you are in and what’s available at your local grocery store. I am also a huge fan of changing up what kind of greens you use. For instance, in this salad I used a combination of baby spinach, arugula, baby spring mix, kale and beet greens. Using beets in this recipe turned out great because I used the greens from it, SCORE!
To continue on changing a few things up, I like cutting vegetables differently than a simple wedge or a small dice. I like thinly slicing them short ways and long ways using a mandolin slicer or even a simple vegetable peeler. Now don’t quote me here, and maybe it’s just me but things just taste better when they are thinly shaven. In any event you should try shaving some of the vegetables that go in your salad for a different twist and to experience more of a variety of vegetables. I even sliced and coated up some sweet potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them off for an amazing accompaniment to a salad!
When it comes to salad dressings, the possibilities really are endless. I know in our minds we think of balsamic vinaigrette and ranch dressing… Ridiculous I know. You can make a caramelized shallot dressing, or a roasted tomato vinaigrette, or in the case of this Winter Harvest Salad, a Champagne, Lemon and Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette. Vinaigrettes allow you to infuse a number of different flavors without losing track of what went in it in the first place. You can whisk the vinaigrette to emulsify it or pop it in a blender for ease. You decide!
Lastly, I want you to know that you don’t even have to use what I did in this salad. Go to your local grocery store or fruit market and find out what’s in season and what’s on sale; there’s no need to make a $200 salad. Find a mix of fresh vegetables, some good leafy greens, and a few unique flavors for a dressing and you are good to go. I clearly did a bit much with this salad but I just couldn’t help myself! If you choose to make this salad, you will have enough leftovers for a small army with plenty of extra vegetables that you could use in another salad or soup. Like I always say, you are only limited by by your own creativity so start exploring!
Winter Harvest Salad with Champagne, Lemon + Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS
For the Salad:
- 1 thinly sliced sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 3 cups of baby spring mix
- 2 cups each of baby spinach and arugula
- 1 cup of roughly chopped beet greens
- 2 cups of chopped kale
- 1 grapefruit supremes
- 1 orange supremes
- 1 thinly sliced radish
- 1 peeled and thinly sliced red beet
- 2 shaved baby carrots
- ½ shaved fresh fennel
- 2 shaved stalks of celery
- 1 shaved small cucumber
- 6 to 8 thinly sliced Brussel sprouts
- ½ cup of pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup of micro greens
- 2 tablespoons of sliced fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup of goat cheese
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Vinaigrette:
- ½ small diced shallot
- 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons of honey
- ½ cup of champagne vinegar
- Juice of ½ of a lemon
- Seeds from ½ of a vanilla bean
- 1 cup of olive oil
- 1 tablespoons of chiffonade fresh basil
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 425°.
- Evenly spread the sweet potato slices on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle on the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 30 minutes and cool to room temperature.
- For the salad: Simply combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss together with salt and pepper.
- For the vinaigrette: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium size bowl until the dressing is combined and emulsified and set aside.
- To Plate: Drizzle the vinaigrette over top of the salad, mix and serve.
